Katy Agule, Women's Track and Cross Country

Senior Katy Agule of Acton, Mass., has been one of the track and cross country team's most consistent performers over her career. She was one of the main student organizers of Brandeis's inaugural Relay for Life last year.

1) What has been the highlight of your athletic career so far?

I’ve had so many great experiences at Brandeis through athletics, but one that stands out would be the 3000 meter race at the Brandeis Invite my sophomore year. I had a great race—I was able to come back and win the race with a great kick in the last 300 meters. The race was special because it set up a great season for me as I went on to have personal records in the 3000 meters at the end of the season and also because it happened on my home track, in front of my parents and my friends.

2) What makes your team special?

My athletic career is different than most other athletes—I run both for the cross-country and track teams, all three seasons. Due to the time commitment and other aspects of our sport, we become a family. The distance kids especially, as we are together for the whole year. We see each other not only at practice but during class and at meals. Many people like to poke fun at us while we sit in Usdan having dinner because we literally take up one corner of the room. But we hardly get sick of each other—that is what makes us special. We truly are a family. We have a bond that was created through long runs, long meets, bad weather, team dinners and team trips.

3) How do your experiences on the court translate to the class room/world?

Athletics have helped me many ways in both the classroom and the world. To be an athlete, you have to commit much of your time to your sport. This decreases your free time for whatever else you need to do—whether that is a job, your schoolwork or anything else. Athletics have taught me time management. I have to be able to manage my time so I can not only perform on the track, but also perform in the classroom and real life.

4) What is your favorite class and why?

There are many classes that were great experiences, but the one that has had a lasting impression was Modern Art and Modern Culture, which I took as my fine arts requirement. I came into the class very hesitant—art history has never been an interest of mine, and I’ve heard horror stories about them. I didn’t know what kind of art would interest me, but I was lucky that I picked a class that fit my interests. I found that I learned a great deal in that class when I visited the National Gallery of Art in DC with a friend and was able to discuss and even criticize many works of art and even knew a little bit more than my friend, which was a huge surprise.

5) What is your favorite non-athletic activity at Brandeis and why?

My favorite non-athletic activity at Brandeis is the Relay For Life event. Brandeis held its first Relay For Life event last year, and it was also my first Relay. I had an amazing experience at Relay— Relay allows those touched by cancer to celebrate loved ones beating cancer, to remember loved ones lost to the disease and to also find their outlet for fighting back against the disease. I’ve come across so many touching and powerful stories through Relay, and those are the stories that give me the motivation to keep not only fighting back against the disease but also to try to do my best in every other aspect of my life.

6) What are your aspirations after Brandeis?

After Brandeis, I would like to find a job and work for a couple of years while I decide what I would like to study in graduate school. This past summer I worked in the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network office in Washington DC, and they are the nonprofit, nonpartisan partner advocacy organization of the American Cancer Society. My experience there was something special—after graduation I would to become involved within advocacy for ACS CAN, or something similar.

7) What is something surprising we might not know about you?

At Brandeis, I have been known as a runner. That has been my main identity while in college, but during high school, my identity was a little bit different. I have been a horse owner since the 7th grade, and equestrian sports and taking care of my horse was my first passion, even before running. Not many people at Brandeis know that part of my life.